by Lucio Oquendo III
Over the last decade, Portland’s Gaytheist has fed us a recipe of unforgiving and unrelenting rock and roll. There has been three years between their last release, and on their newest album, How Long Have I Been on Fire?, we are shown that Gaytheist has developed into a well-oiled machine. Between the depths of the songs themselves and the agility of this power trio, it’s obvious on this record that Gaytheist has grown over the last five releases. All thirteen songs on How Long Have I Been on Fire are brutal and run deeper than the loud-as-fuck wall of sound the band bangs out. Nick Parks’ razor-sharp drumming paired with Tim Hoff’s grimy bass lines, and Jason Rivera’s dynamic guitar-playing delivers more hooks on this record than any similar band’s entire catalog. Mix in engineer Stephen Hawkes’ (Chelsea Grin, Red Fang, Prize Country) top-notch sound quality to represent Gaytheist’s musicianship, recorded at Interlace Audio in Portland, Oregon, and we’re left with a bellicose concoction.
On all thirteen tracks, we are presented with Rivera’s insanely well-executed songwriting ability in a way that he makes look easy. His dynamic vocal range is heard throughout the entire album but is particularly showcased on the song “Let The Wrong One Out”. Rivera is entirely comfortable yelling, and it brings out that sense of security to fans that they can—and should—yell along, too. Pair this with Hoff’s welcomed fuzzy bass that lays the foundation for Park’s angular drumming, and you hear the three of them fall organically into their rolls.
”Hashbrownsblessed” seems to show Gaytheist in their truest form. Hoff’s bass playing shows you that he could stand entirely on his own. The booming lows and searing pick attack of each bass line nestled with Rivera’s doomy, saturated riffs, and Park’s brute force shredding in this one-minute-twenty-nine-second song leaves you satisfied yet hungry for more. Throughout the entire album, Gaytheist continues to feed us banger after banger.
You can tell on this album that the trio has a good time together. Even at their most silly, they don’t overshadow their ability to write concise and heavy music, giving each person their own chance to wake you up. Without getting over-bloated or self-indulgent, Park seems to never run out of drum fills. He’s constantly morphing to serve each song the band writes, letting Hoff’s heavy bass bury deep in your gut, and Rivera’s guitar and vocals lead the band with confident, dark fun. Other highlights where you can hear Gaytheist’s chemistry sizzle come in “Doing Great! Never Better!,” “Crooked,” and “All Choices End in Death,” but let me be clear, every song on the album has so much taste.
I’m shocked by Gaytheist’s lack of notoriety on the Internet, and I can only hope that after many years of grinding, the trio continues to write. It’s obvious that they have a clear mix of influences, but they are far too clever, and this album is too refined, to insult them in a way by comparing them to any other band. How Long Have I Been on Fire is like a night when you gather with your group of friends that you love, even at the album’s most predictable points, the record is so inspired, so immediate, and so damn singable. Check it out and tell your friends.